Victim of a bait-and-switch job?

Diane started out as an administrative assistant at her current company, then applied as a client services coordinator.

The good news is, she got the job.

The bad news is, her admin tasks didn’t disappear.

“Though I’m not his assistant anymore,” she says, “he has convinced himself that there isn’t enough work for me to be a full-time coordinator. But that’s because he hasn’t given me time to train properly. He was supposed to hire someone else as his AA, but I think he likes my work so much that he simply doesn’t do it. What should I do?”

You feel cheated. But you can’t quit.

Here are some suggestions.

√ Talk with your boss. Tell him, “I’m confused. My understanding when I took on the role of client serv­ices coordinator was that my duties would be X, Y and Z. But instead, it seems like I’m doing A, B and C. Can you clarify what you expect of me?”

√ Give yourself time to learn how things operate. You’ll need to fully understand what’s going on before you take the following step.

√ Stop waiting for permission to get the training you need to step fully into your new role. Once you understand the scope of the work required, present a plan to your boss—confidentially.

Say, for example, “In order to best support the team, I need specific training on X, Y and Z. Here are two possible ways for me to move forward. Which would you prefer?”

√ Be cheerful. “If you walk around with a ‘they tricked me with their rotten job description!’ chip on your shoulder, you’re more likely to end up fired rather than fixing the problem,” says Suzanne Lucas on BNET. “Jump in. Work hard. Help out.”

Tomorrow's Training:

Paying employees for their travel time — and dealing with subsequent reimbursements and deductions — is one of the most confusing parts of HR and payroll administration. Discover the IRS and DOL rules regarding what is considered "travel time” versus "commuting time,” plus what is an allowable expense versus taxable wages....Click here to find out more.